The Ketchup Quandary

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If it’s made from tomatoes, it must be healthy, right? If you’re talking about ketchup, not necessarily. While ketchup is high in vitamins C and A thanks to its tomato-y roots, it’s also really high in sugar. Look at the label and you’ll see corn syrup listed high on the ingredients list. That means there’s a lot of added sugar, a good reason to take caution if you're too liberal with your condiments.

A little ketchup certainly isn’t going to kill you, but it’s a good idea to substitute other low-sugar condiments, like salsa, when you can to help keep calories in check. One half cup of salsa has only 35 calories, while the same amount of ketchup packs a whopping 160 calories! You could easily save 125 calories just by making the simple switch – and salsa actually tastes better than ketchup on many foods. But is ketchup really a problem if you’re just dipping a few fries? Nah – a tablespoon of ketchup has only 15 calories and isn’t going to break your calorie bank. But about those greasy, fried potato sticks...

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